March 19, 2014 - Genisys Credit Union received the final approval it needed from Oxford Village to proceed with its plans to build a new 3,296-square-foot facility, complete with drive-through area, along M-24.

Last week, council voted 4-1 to approve a conditional rezoning agreement with Genisys.

This effectively rezones three parcels located at 114, 118 and 120 S. Washington St. from Commercial Office (C-O) to General Business (C-2). The lots are located just north of Holy Cross Lutheran Church and just south of Coldwell Banker Shooltz Realty.

The credit union, which has leased space in the Oxford Marketplace shopping center since 2005, needed this conditional rezoning in order to have a drive-through.

Drive-throughs are not permitted in C-O zoning, but they are allowed in C-2 zoning.

Under the terms of the conditional rezoning agreement, if the property at some point in the future ceases to be a Genisys Credit Union, the potential uses for it would be limited to what's allowed in C-O zoning, not C-2 zoning, and the planning commission would be required to approve any new use.

The agreement only allows for a drive-through on this site if the use is a bank or other type of financial institution.

If a fast food restaurant, for example, were to ever open there, it could not operate a drive-through. The agreement does not give a blanket approval for any and all future businesses to have a drive-through.

Genisys plans to invest more than $1.2 million in this project. On March 4, the village planning commission voted to give final site plan approval for the Genisys facility.

CJ Carnacchio is editor for The Oxford Leader. He lives in the Village of Oxford with his wife Connie and daughter Larissa. When he's not busy working on the newspaper, he enjoys cigars/pipes, Martinis/Scotch, hunting and fishing.